


A Falsehood Not Universally Acknowledged

by hmweasley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Aristocracy, F/M, Gift Fic, Marriage, Minor James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Mistakes, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23611831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmweasley/pseuds/hmweasley
Summary: When Marlene arrives in James and Lily's kingdom in search of a husband, old feelings resurface.
Relationships: Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & James Potter, Sirius Black/Marlene McKinnon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	A Falsehood Not Universally Acknowledged

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Gen.
> 
> Prompts:  
> Sirius/Marlene  
> Royalty AU  
> Unplanned pregnancy  
> Write a love story that ends with: "I've made a huge mistake."
> 
> You can come talk to me on [Tumblr](http://madetofly.tumblr.com) if you'd like.

“A husband?” Sirius scoffed. “Why’s she looking for a husband here? There are enough men in her own kingdom. Just find a halfway decent one and call it a day. It’s not like they can say no to a queen.”

James rolled his eyes in a decidedly un-kingly fashion but didn’t say anything. Lily remained silent as well, though her sharp gaze was more judgemental than her husband’s. Both of them sat with perfect royal posture despite Sirius and Remus being the only other people in the dining room.

In contrast to his friends, Sirius had one leg swung over the side of his chair in a fashion that made Remus—the only one amongst them to have been born a commoner—look regal in comparison.

Remus was also the only one willing to retort.

“You think she should make someone marry her against his will?” he asked, leaning away from Sirius as if horrified he’d think such a thing. “She may be a queen, but she deserves to marry someone who actually cares for her. And what about the poor bloke?”

Sirius scoffed.

“Why don’t you marry her then, Remus?”

Remus sighed and ran a tired hand over his brow.

“While I do care for Marlene as a friend, that wouldn’t work for a number of reasons that aren’t even worth getting into.”

“Marlene marrying a commoner could push them into modern times,” Sirius said flatly. “We all know that place could use it.”

Remus blushed over the talk of marrying Marlene, but Sirius knew he meant it when he professed to not liking the queen in that way. That was the only reason Sirius could stomach teasing him about it.

“Perhaps it would,” Lily said, “but I think we’d all prefer if Marlene married for love and not to make a political statement.”

She gave Sirius a pointed look that made it clear she expected him to shut up and, with a shrug, he obeyed.

For a moment, his friends thought that would be the end of it, but then he snorted and spoke with his gaze tilted towards the ceiling.

“Marrying for love,” he mused. “What an oxymoron. If you’re in love, why bother with marriage? It’s only there to make the stuffy types feel better.”

He didn’t bother to look at his friends, knowing exactly what kind of looks they were sharing with each other.

“You would think that, Padfoot,” James joked. “Your family treating marriage the way they do and all.”

Despite it being a joke, it was the comment that finally soured Sirius’ appetite for the topic for good. He offered his best friend a shrug and continued staring at the ceiling, all while trying not to imagine Marlene’s attempts to woo potential suitors whenever she arrived at the castle.

* * *

Marlene got the greeting that a queen deserved, complete with the full royal entourage waiting outside the castle gates. Sirius grudgingly tagged along for the performance, though he earned several glares for slouching against the castle walls as her carriage arrived.

The servants set to work carrying her things inside before Marlene had even stepped out of the carriage.

When she did, Sirius couldn’t help but grin at the sight of her. Marlene had never been one to get caught up in the formal parts of royalty, and her frustration with the people who had come with her was evident from the second Sirius got a glimpse of her. She snapped at a servant that she could carry her personal bag herself and hurried towards James and Lily, not waiting for her ladies-in-waiting as protocol called for.

“Queen Marlene,” James greeted with the customary bow. “We’re happy to welcome you to our kingdom.”

Marlene frowned and cut Lily off before she could speak.

“Do we really need to do this every time I come?” she asked. “James, I’ve known you since we were born.”

A few of the older aristocrats hovering about muttered disapprovingly to themselves, but none of them dared question a visiting queen. There was sure to be the usual discontent that James hadn’t stood up more for protocol once Marlene was gone, but that didn’t stop him from laughing and offering her a hug in front of the crowd, with Lily quickly following suit.

Marlene’s mood brightened considerably as the atmosphere grew comfortable. Continuing down the line, she greeted Remus and then with Mary and on down the line until she took another step and realized that Sirius was the only one left aside from the stuffy aristocrat types.

“Sirius,” she said with a jerk of her head that was meant to be a nod.

“Queen Marlene,” he echoed with a smirk.

She kept her hands firmly grasped together in front of her, making no move to go for the hug she’d offered the others. Sirius wasn’t hurt. He tilted his head to the side, analyzing her as if expecting to find something different in her demeanor now that she was seeking a husband of all things.

Before he could take a jab at her search, she continued.

“Your parents have informed me that you were formally disowned since we last saw each other.”

Sirius snorted. Only Marlene would be so blunt. He sometimes forgot the Marlene he knew when everyone kept talking about the queen.

“Yes, but I continue to live in a palace while my family wastes away on their lavish estate, so who really lost?”

She didn’t laugh even as Sirius did. She bit at the inside of her cheek, an un-ladylike habit he’d known her to have since they were children and Sirius’ parents had sent him to the castle to cozy up with their future queen.

They’d been hoping for far more than they’d gotten. It was Marlene who had recommended that Sirius be sent to the neighboring kingdom, assuring his parents that James would be a good influence. They’d gone along with it because there’d been no other choice, never understanding just how much their queen had played them.

“I hear you’re searching for a husband in our humble abode again,” he said. “Because it worked out so well for you the first time around.”

He motioned at James, who Marlene’s parents had once tried to set her up with before he had fallen for Lily. Marlene bit back a smirk, raising an eyebrow at Sirius without glancing at James.

“I wasn’t exactly looking the first time around,” she pointed out.

“Oh, silly me,” Sirius said, shaking his head. “Of course not. I forgot that you were smarter in those days. You saw marriage for the scam that it was.”

Sirius thrived off the scandalized whispers of the aristocrats who didn’t even pretend not to be listening to their conversation. But Marlene was far from scandalized. She tilted her head as she watched Sirius like he was the resident court jester. Perhaps he was in a way.

“Not once have I ever called marriage a scam,” she said. “I believe what you're referring to was my resolve not to marry without love. And that I still have.”

Sirius grimaced. It was even worse than he’d feared. She wasn’t just coming to forge a convenient political alliance; she wanted love.

“Good luck with that,” Sirius muttered, taking several steps back to signal that their conversation was over.

Marlene hovered as if she wished to say something else, but James took the moment to step back into king mode after some hurried whispers from an advisor.

“Queen Marlene,” he announced loud enough for everyone gathered to hear. “Pettigrew will show you to your quarters.”

The servant in question bowed lowly, and Marlene nodded in assent, giving Sirius only the briefest of glances before she followed him into the palace.

As soon as she had disappeared, James came to his side, speaking low enough that the aristocrats couldn’t hear (not that they cared with the visitor gone).

“Something tells me her biggest obstacle to finding a match in our kingdom is going to be you.”

Sirius clutched his chest in mock offense.

“Me?” he cried. “I’m wounded that you think of me as such a scoundrel, Your Highness.”

James shook his head, a grin on his lips as he followed Marlene back up to the castle.

* * *

Sirius scowled at the distant figures of Marlene and the young Lord Longbottom as they strolled through the palace gardens, her hand in the crook of his elbow. It was hard to see their facial expressions from the balcony attached to James’ office, but Sirius was sure he wasn’t imagining the smiles on their faces.

Frank Longbottom’s family had the same standing in James’ kingdom as Sirius’ had in Marlene’s, but Frank had always been far less insufferable than Sirius’ relatives, something which had led Sirius to consider the other noble as a friend.

That was gone as he watched his attempts to woo Marlene. The pair had only known each other for several hours. There was no explanation for the sudden camaraderie other than Frank’s desire to marry higher and Marlene’s apparent desperation to find a husband.

“Look at them,” Sirius muttered, ripping off a large chunk of orange peel and tossing it over the edge of the balcony. 

He didn’t look away from the couple to see James and Remus both scowl at the action or Remus peak over the bannister to make sure he hadn’t hit any unsuspecting people below.

“They look like the perfect little nobles, don’t they?” Sirius continued. “Going about their stupid courtship rituals.”

James snorted before covering it up with a cough. Remus, though he looked amused, was far better at acting stern.

“I think you’re being rather ridiculous about this whole thing, Padfoot,” he said in his lecture voice. “You’re letting your past feelings get in the way of looking at things objectively. I know Marlene’s a sore spot with you since the two of you grew up together—”

“Sore spot?” Sirius asked as he ripped off a section of orange and stuck it in his mouth. “Why would she be a sore spot? Because she’s a reminder of my conceited family? My mother would have had us married if I hadn’t run away, you know? She would have loved for me to marry the queen of our kingdom just so she could manipulate things behind the scenes. It was her ultimate goal.”

Remus and James shared a look that Sirius didn’t see. Frank and Marlene had perched themselves on the edge of the fountain. Marlene stuck her fingers in the water and trailed them around as if writing a message.

“You and Marlene have...history. You’ve known her longer than you’ve known either of us,” James said, motioning between himself and Remus. “And, like you said, you grew up with your mother pestering you to marry her.”

Sirius snorted.

“Thank Merlin she was at least okay with me attending school here before the betrothal. Can you imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t seen what else was out there?”

“Sure, Padfoot,” James said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re happier here than back home. But it’s okay if you miss some things from home. It’s even okay if you realize that you and your mother might maybe want the same thing even if it’s for different reasons.”

Sirius froze and turned to actually look at his best friends for the first time since he’d spotted Marlene and Frank.

“What is that supposed to mean? Are you implying that I want to marry Marlene? Why would you say something as ridiculous as that?”

Remus tilted his head to the side.

“You’re staring at Frank as if you want to curse him, Sirius. It’s not subtle.”

Words failing him, Sirius settled for a glare.

James stood up, giving Sirius one last pat on the shoulder as he passed him to stand at the balcony railing.

“I’m sure you don’t want to be king, Padfoot, which is what your mum really wanted, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want Marlene.”

Sirius ripped off another chunk of orange.

“Those two things are the same, Prongs. You don’t get Marlene without the crown.”

He hated the sympathetic looks his friends gave him, so he looked down at his orange instead.

* * *

A week later, Sirius stumbled upon Marlene while on his own walk around the grounds. The weather had gotten chilly for the first time, signaling the coming winter, and Marlene had a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck in the colours of her royal insignia. Sirius resisted the temptation to scowl at it. His parents had decorated their entire house in those colours.

“Where’s today’s illustrious suitor, Your Majesty?” Sirius asked her with a smirk.

Marlene smiled and sat on the edge of the fountain, inelegantly bunching up her skirts to avoid the cold of the stone. Sirius couldn’t help but laugh at the sight; he knew she would never have dared such a thing in front of the suitors.

“No suitors for me today,” she said with a shrug. “I think it’s safe to say that I’ve exhausted my options in this kingdom. And in my own.”

She stared into space, her smile slipping as she considered the reality of her situation.

Sirius, on the other hand, felt a surge of adrenaline at her admission. He couldn’t help but smirk as he perched himself on the edge of the fountain beside her.

“So you’ve given up on your ridiculous talk of marriage?” he asked.

Marlene scowled and slapped him lightly on the arm.

“I haven’t given up,” she stressed. “I’m merely taking a break from the search. Eventually, you’ll have to understand, Sirius, that marriage isn’t a ‘maybe’ for me. As Queen, I must find someone, but it must be someone fit to be king. You’d think my advisors would understand how challenging that is.”

Sirius laughed.

“Advisors are good for nothing except remaining stuck in the past,” he said, prompting Marlene’s frown to turn into a smile.

“Aren’t you an advisor yourself?” she asked.

“Well, of course,” Sirius said, leaning in close as if telling her a secret. “Remus and I are the obvious exceptions. Lily and James are lucky to have us.”

It was meant to be a joke, but Marlene stared back, nodding her head slowly without her previous smile.

“Yes,” she agreed. “I was rather surprised when James decided to officially take on a foreigner as an advisor.”

Sirius sighed.

Marlene had made a number of trips to the kingdom since Sirius had received his position, but they’d never actually spoken about Sirius’ decision to stay instead of returning.

“James is my best friend,” Sirius said, “and I’m lucky that he trusts my opinion. I’m lucky to have anyone who listens to me after years of my family always telling me everything I thought was wrong.”

He felt her whole body sigh beside him. She placed a hesitant hand on his forearm, her grip growing stronger when he didn’t shy away.

“But I never treated you like that, Sirius, and your family can be kept from the castle. I’ve learned all sorts of tricks for doing just that.”

He turned his head towards her, forcing an easy smirk.

“Does running out of options mean you’re trying to seduce me into marriage now, Marlene? Surely, you know how that will turn out.”

She laughed, but there was sadness in it that Sirius couldn’t ignore. It clenched his heart in a way that he wished still confused him as it had when he was younger.

“No,” Marlene said, but she emphasized the word with a squeeze of his arm. “I’m not foolish enough to believe you’d marry me, Sirius, but you have to admit yourself that you’d make a far more interesting husband than whatever bloke I’m likely to marry.”

Feeling daring, Sirius pressed a kiss to her cheek and was even more emboldened when Marlene didn’t push him away or scold him.

“If I married you, you’d find me far less interesting,” he whispered in her ear.

Marlene turned to him with a new smirk that made his stomach tighten. It had been so long since she’d allowed them to be close in such a way, and Sirius relished every second of it.

“I doubt that,” she muttered. “But I’d never waste my time trying to convince you differently.”

He moved towards her slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away, but she was the one who closed the gap between them, kissing him with a ferocity that he was certain she hadn’t shown any of her suitors.

The kiss was over far too soon.

Marlene pulled away first, her eyes dancing around the gardens as if searching for predators.

“Not here,” she hissed, standing and brushing off her skirts. “Be in your rooms in an hour. I’ll meet you there.”

Sirius watched her go with a smirk.

* * *

Marlene left soon after with no husband to show for her efforts. Despite how he’d scoffed at the idea of marriage, Sirius did hope that Marlene’s insufferable advisors didn’t give her too hard of a time over it.

In the days after she left, Sirius tried to forget how easy being with Marlene was. Their contact with each other had been sporadic since Sirius had fled the kingdom, but they always wound up back where they’d left off. And each time she left, Sirius had to nurse a wound he would never admit to having.

He couldn’t return home. Going home meant facing his terrible family and once again getting pulled under their sway, but Marlene couldn’t abandon her kingdom either. That was just the way of things.

When Sirius received an urgent letter from Marlene a month and a half after her departure, he was surprised to find that she requested his return to the kingdom immediately.

Despite the years Sirius had lived in James and Lily’s kingdom and despite his role as an advisor, he was—when it came down to it—Marlene’s subject. He couldn’t disobey a direct order, but he’d never have believed her capable of such cruelty.

Sirius went, bringing only the smallest gathering of servants possible to avoid detection as they traveled through the countryside. Sirius could only hope to make it to the castle without his parents hearing of his presence in the kingdom.

When he arrived, he wasn’t brought in through the main doors where guests were typically greeting. Instead, he was brought through a small side door reserved for servants. His brow furrowed as he followed one of Marlene’s advisors through a maze of dark corridors until they reached Marlene’s private quarters.

The woman herself sat before a low fire in casual attire that Sirius rarely got to see her in, even after their encounters. She stood up as soon as the men entered. The advisor bowed before leaving, but Marlene hardly spared him a glance. Her wide eyes were only on Sirius as they were left alone. Her hands were clasped together over her stomach as if she were shielding herself.

“What is this?” Sirius asked, struggling to keep his voice as neutral as possible. “You know how much I hate coming here, so I assume there’s a reason for it.”

Marlene nodded and turned towards the fire. It illuminated her features and turned the flyaway hairs that framed her face into a halo.

“I’m pregnant,” she said simply, only managing a short glance in Sirius’ direction as she said the words.

Sirius’ eyes flew down to her stomach, which she was now completely covering with both hands. It wasn’t any bigger than it had been the last time he saw her, but then, he supposed, it would be too early for that.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

Marlene looked at him with a pained smile.

“Very sure,” she said with a disbelieving shake of her head. “We’ve tested it in every way we can think of. I’m going to have a child. Your child, Sirius.”

He took a deep, shaky breath as he processed the unexpected development. He’d thought about what it would be like to be a father before, of course, but with his aversion to marriage, he’d never expected it to happen. He’d resolved himself to being a good uncle to whatever children Lily and James popped out instead.

“Sirius,” Marlene said sternly when he didn’t respond. She took a step closer. “As far as I or any of my most trusted advisors can tell, I only have two options: Either I conceal the pregnancy for its entire duration before sending the child somewhere where it will never be discovered. Or...we marry and ensure the child is legitimate.”

Sirius closed the space between him and Marlene and took her hand.

“Would concealing it even be possible?” he asked. “You’re a queen. You can’t stay locked in your rooms for nine months, and I don’t know much about women’s fashion, but I think dresses will only hide so much.”

Marlene’s lips thinned as she stared up at him.

“I can do it if I have to.”

Sirius reached up to cup her face. Marlene’s eyes fluttered shut as his thumb grazed her cheekbone.

“You shouldn’t have to,” Sirius said. “I’m as much responsible for this as you are, and I’m not going to let you face it alone.”

She opened her eyes, fixating him with an intense stare.

“Do you know what that means, Sirius? You’d have to become king. King! You!”

Despite the situation, Sirius laughed.

“What are you trying to imply? That I would make your life harder?”

“Yes,” she said. But she was smiling at him, an amused glint in her eyes. “You make everything more difficult.”

They both laughed, and as it faded, they watched each other, neither one sure what came next.

“You don’t want to be married,” Marlene said.

Sirius knew it was a question that Marlene was too frightened to ask directly.

“It was never my plan, but things don’t always go to plan. You wanted to marry someone fit to be king.”

Marlene shook her head but not hard enough to shake off Sirius’ hands that still cradled it.

“Queen Marlene wanted to marry someone fit to be king, but Marlene the person has wanted to be with you since she was a little girl.”

Her voice broke, and Sirius couldn’t resist the urge to press a chaste kiss to her lips.

“Well,” Sirius said as he pulled away, “it’s a good thing that I care a lot more about what Marlene thinks about me than the queen.”

She let out an undignified snort that made Sirius smile at her fondly. His hands traveled downward to grasp her waist and pull her closer. She came easily, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her fingers began winding into his hair.

“You’re sure that you understand what you’re agreeing to?” she whispered.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

“I’ve grown up in courts my whole life,” he pointed out. “I know exactly what I’m getting into, and it doesn’t change a thing.”

Marlene smiled and rose to her tiptoes to kiss him.

* * *

Sirius’ coronation came only days after the wedding. It was every bit as torturous as he’d expected. The crown weighed him down in a way that had been funny when he’d jokingly stolen James’ crown over the years but that very much wasn’t anymore.

Marlene, far better at the diplomatic process than Sirius could ever hope to be, mingled with the crowd while Sirius stayed in a corner.

His mother was thrilled, much to his chagrin, and he planned to avoid her for the night if it was the last thing he did. He didn’t need the backhanded compliments on how he’d “risen in status,” and he’d already burnt his bridges with the vast majority of the nobles present. He didn’t see that changing even with his new title.

Remus and James approached him, two glasses of mead in Remus’ hands. He offered one to Sirius, who took it eagerly. Sirius couldn’t help but smile upon seeing them. If dealing with his family would be difficult, being away from his best friends would be the hardest part of his new life.

“How does it feel to be a king?” Remus asked, a wry smile on his lips.

Since Sirius had revealed Marlene’s pregnancy and the plans for a rushed wedding to them, they had been nothing but supportive, even putting aside their usual jokes for a while. And Sirius was grateful for it, but now, it seemed they couldn’t entirely hide their amusement over where Sirius’ life had taken him.

“Heavy,” Sirius said, reaching up to adjust his crown. “But if Marlene just keeps handling everything, I think I’ll be fine.”

James laughed and clapped Sirius on the back.

“Oh, mate, you’re in for a crash course,” he said. “You know all that paperwork I have to fill out every day?”

Sirius nodded, already frowning.

“All of that needs both the king and queen’s signatures, Padfoot. You’re not getting out of it.”

Sirius’ body slumped, the crown sliding to the side on his head. He had to hold onto James for support.

“James,” he said shakily, “I’ve made a huge mistake.”


End file.
